Recently a road near my home was repaired. It was in desperate need of repair, so those of us that live on the road were glad. They laid a decent layer of material mixed with rock. It was bumpy at first, but as the cars drove over it, it began to pack and smooth out. Then the road crew came back and graded the road. Now they thought that they were doing the right thing. Unfortunately what they did is basically corrugate the entire road.
I feel that it is an important lesson that we know when we’ve done enough and it’s time to stop. If we are helping someone we have to know when we have to stop. You may think that sounds odd to stop helping someone, but we can inadvertently enable them to continue making bad choices. You can also create a dependency in them that hinders them from standing on their own feet.
If we are witnessing to someone we have to know when to stop talking. I think back of when I was a baby. My Mama said that I loved homemade gravy. I once ate so much of it that I got sick. To this day I cannot stand the smell of homemade gravy. If we aren’t sensitive to the Spirit we can force feed someone until we say something that makes them sick of what we are saying. This can create a negative outlook and disdain for the Gospel. Sometimes we have to live it in front of them and this will be a testimony unto God.
We must be sensitive to the Spirit for both of these. Because we should help others and we should absolutely be talking with others about God. We just have to know when to and when not to do these things.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 EasyEnglish There is a time to tear something down. And there is a time to mend it. There is a time to be quiet. And there is a time to speak.
Proverbs 25:17 NET Don’t set foot too frequently in your neighbor’s house, lest he become weary of you and hate you.